The invention concerns a transport device for elongated substrates, suitable for transporting substrates within a vacuum processing system or through a vacuum processing system, especially for processes that run under high temperatures.
Transport devices that comprise an essentially rectangular frame are known for transport of substrates within a vacuum processing system or/and through the vacuum processing system. Such frame-like transport devices, as are described, for example, in Patent Application DE 10 2007 052 524, are used, in particular, to transport plate-like substrates through so-called continuous vacuum processing systems. For elongated substrates, a frame-like transport device is known from Patent Application DE 10 2007 048 758. On the other hand, transport devices comprising an essentially cylindrical frame, on which the substrates can be fastened, are also used in so-called batch vacuum processing systems. This transport device, often also referred to as a rotary basket, is mounted to rotate within the vacuum processing system, in order to move all substrates by the coating source or sources.
It has been found that the known transport devices can only be used with restriction for various applications. The known transport devices ordinarily produced from steel rods rigidly connected to each other can only be used with considerable restrictions or not at all in processes that occur under very high temperatures, for example, in the range from 400 to 800° C. In addition, a transport device is required, in which the substrates, for example, glass tubes, can be mounted rotatable. Here again, there is a requirement for certain processes that the support must withstand very high temperatures, get by without lubrication and be maintenance-free with very long lifetime.